Life After Silai School: Women In Nagaland Are Now Sewing Their Own Destinies

Delhi: Delhi: A land so diverse in its culture, Nagaland is where traditions are as old as the hills themselves and flora and fauna find place not only in the forests but also in the intricate weaves of the hand. It is here where USHA International has set up more than 60 sewing training schools. Spread across the city of Dimapur and the state's capital Kohima, these training institutes were set up in 2013 and has since then helped many women become self-dependent.

My name is Melavino and I live in Dimapur she said, perched outside her shop where she not only sells garments but also provides sewing training to young women in her neighborhood.

I studied till class 10 before opting to drop out and take up gardening as a vocational occupation said the 31-year-old. However, since I felt I needed to do more, I decided to try my hand at stitching.

She enrolled in the Silai school programme in 2013 and opened her own institute from which she earns nearly Rs. 6,000 a month.

"I have taught around 40 to 45 women till now and some of them have gone ahead to open their own Silai school" she said. "I feel good that I can earn my own livelihood and no longer have to depend on others."

Melavino's story is one of many that highlight impact of skill development and vocational training that the Silai school has been providing all across the country.

In Dimapur, currently, there are 25 Silai schools and training is conducted through the 'Training of Trainers' model. The model works in a way where Usha Silai School teaches a couple of women from an area who then go on to open Silai school cum sales center where they teach more women.

This chain of change leads to building a self-containing society where each one can thrive in their areas and rely on their skills to make ends meet.

"The girls who have taken the training from Usha Silai School have started earning and sustaining their families" said Medono Viswentso, coordinator, EDITI, a non-governmental organisation in Nagaland.

In Nagaland, most girls migrate to other states but those who stay back try to pave their way into getting a government job he said.

However, since many don't get to clear the exams, they struggle financially. USHA Silai Schools have helped in shaping the future of such girls and making them self-reliant.

"I learnt stitching from EDITI in 2012," said Nongsano Naleo who single-handedly takes care of her orphaned nieces after her siblings passed away.

"Before I started stitching I was a teacher. However, my earnings were not enough and it was difficult to commit to a full-time job," she said. "USHA Silai School helped me start something of my own that gave me the opportunity to help more women like me."

Just like Naleo, Xunili K Wotsa, 33, too found a way to help her family out financially through sewing.
"Before joining the Silai school, I was not able to take care of my children" said the mother of seven children and wife of a daily wage laborer. Since, income was less the couple struggled to pay house rent and fund their children's education.

Ever since she joined the training center in 2013, Xunili, has opened her own school where she has trained more then 52 students. With her monthly income of around Rs. 6,000, she is now able to contribute and manage her household expenses.

Given political uncertainty and lack of opportunities, finding a viable livelihood option in Nagaland is difficult for many in the northeastern state. However, with Usha Silai School targeting and honing the creative skills of those in rural parts of the state, the initiative has become a vital force for skill development.

Despite being a small endeavor, the initiative has taken significant steps that has helped marginal groups in India break shackles of poverty and move to a life of dignity and self-reliance.

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About the Initiative

Kushalta Ke Kadam, an initiative by NDTV and USHA, aims at empowering women from rural India and encourages them to become entrepreneurs by taking up sewing and training others in their respective communities. Since 2011 Usha Silai Campaign has trained more than 3.95 lakh rural women within five years, with 17,000 Silai schools, spanning over 9272 Indian villages in India.

Kushalta Ke Kadam in Season 4 has returned with new goals and vision. The new season will witness the establishment of the new cluster in Kashmir, apart from the existing four clusters setup last year. The women from volatile Kashmir will work with well-known fashion designer Rohit Bal and get an unique opportunity to learn from him and make clothes for him. The work done by the Silai School women will be presented at Lakme Fashion week 2019.

Rebari girls grow up learning traditional embroidery, which along with their new found sewing skills developed at Usha Silai Schools, is helping them earn a living.

Usha Silai School has empowered many rural women to support their family and send their children to school.

The Usha Silai School, established in a small nondescript village that goes by the name of Kottai, is helping empower people from varied communities.

The all-inclusive Usha Silai School Programme covers the entire nation from hamlets tucked between hills to villages cast by the sea.

Vegetables farmers from the Mizoram hills earn very little given the topography of the area. Usha Silai Schools have played an important part in this region by skilling women to financially contribute towards their households.

Usha Silai School learner Lucy has trained seven other women in her community, helping them to become financially independent.

Women like Kaviben from the nomadic Rebari community are finally laying down their roots as they begin to gain financial independence and thereby stability through Usha Silai School.

Usha Silai School, located in the Gujarat's Bhuj village, is enabling rural women to earn as much as Rs. 2,500-4,000 each month.

Usha Silai School, in association with a Gujarat based NGO called Kala Raksha, is trying to bring about a Silai revolution in Bhuj.

Besides training other women from their community, many Usha Silai School learners have become entrepreneurs in their own right.

With sewing becoming easily accessible and lucrative, the silai schools are also helping revive traditional motifs and designs.